


sympathy

by deere



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Alternate Universe, Established Relationship, F/M, Female Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), In a sense, Patch 5.0: Shadowbringers Spoilers, Reincarnation, bare with me, i just liked the idea of this and ran with it instead of planning anything out, i think i'm definitely gonna add more chapters but idk if they're gonna be coherent, idk what else to tag this as. i'm sorry folks, no beta we die like men, real baby hours, sort of? it's vague what their relationship is but thats cuz its complicated
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-17
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2020-11-02 08:17:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20681078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deere/pseuds/deere
Summary: what i'm to you, you are to me.-while norvrandt celebrates, she pays amaurot a visit, despite her aching chest. she gets a lot more than she bargains for.





	1. the isolation ended, i began to understand

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Reunion](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19833784) by [eliniel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/eliniel/pseuds/eliniel). 

> i hope y'all want emet back as bad as i do 'cuz i made up some dumb half-thought out half-informed headcanons about how he'd get come back and we're gonna fucking party 
> 
> sorry if any lore is less than accurate. i'm a dumb baby 
> 
> i hope u enjoy! ♡

sometimes, it felt like the longer mona was alive, the harder time she’d have celebrating. 

when she was young, her mothers had celebrated her first time hunting with a special dinner— her favorite stew. she had no qualms with that, as young and elated as she was to have her accomplishments recognized. even if it was only by her mothers, they were all she had, all she needed. 

when she slayed her first primal, she only thought it passing strange, the drink thancred suggested grabbing afterward. honestly, she’d been more intrigued by the implications of such an offer, at the time. perhaps that’s why she had so little trouble taking him up on the offer. stumbling back to the waking sands with him afterward was reward enough, truly— and though nothing happened of note, it was company. company she so sorely missed. 

when she liberated ala mhigo,  _ that _ was when she began to grow hollow to the festivities. perhaps it was how hollow she’d become, in years past, or how hollow the victory felt. she may have won the battle for eorzea, but the battle she’d waged within herself raged on. and so she took to bed early that night, curled in her camper, not wanting anybody to be burdened with her quiet sobs as she recuperated from the mental  _ exhaustion _ of her duties. she slept alone, then, the still of the night her only company, as far from the revelry as she’d distanced herself. 

and now that she’d saved the first, her head felt as if it’d completely abandoned her body. 

the crystarium was alight with celebration. even through the night’s return, nearly every soul in  _ norvrandt _ was won’t to join in, drinking and dancing and singing far into the night. mona was one of the people at the forefront of stardom, as far as who the citizens were to thank for the banishing of the everlasting light. the celebrations would go on for days and weeks to come, mona knew.

it wasn’t that she was particularly  _ upset _ about her accomplishments here. she’d saved millions, if not billions of lives, averted the rejoining, evaded the eighth umbral calamity  _ and _ her own death to boot. there was nothing to be sad about, looking at it from that angle— and, really, she almost regretted being unable to celebrate such a thing. 

but as always, it is only with sacrifice that a great reward such as this may come. sometimes these sacrifices sting far more than others. but this time, the sacrifice was something  _ far _ beyond mona’s comprehension— something she wasn’t entirely sure she’d ever get an answer to, but nonetheless tortured her with it’s pull at her heartstrings. 

and she loathed that it was  _ ryne _ , of all people, who noticed her behavior. who else it would have ever been, truly, mona did not know. after all, for such a young girl she was wise  _ beyond _ her years, the oracle of light besides… and minfilia had been one of her closest friends, at the beginning of it all. she supposed it was only fitting. but somehow, the fact that  _ her _ of all people was the one to pick up on it… she almost felt guilty.

hearing the call of her name from the girl behind her, mona stopped herself in her tracks, throwing a glance over her shoulder. seeing the young redhead running after her made her sigh, softly. she wished it was anyone else, stopping her on her way out. she could at least come up with an excuse, then. but this was ryne, and she may as well have become a daughter to mona in the time she’s spent with her here, so she owed her— at the  _ very least— _ her time of day, no matter what state she was in. 

so she slid on the rest of her jacket quickly, pulling her braid from beneath it as the girl approached. though she slowed down as she came near, her momentum almost sent her bowling straight into mona, causing the warrior to laugh out a soft “whoa” as she caught her. 

the woman sat upon her heels in front of the strawberry blonde as she steadied her, looking up to her with a soft, warm smile. the tips of her fingers brushed gently across the apple of the younger’s cheek, moving a stray strand of hair behind her ear as she did. “what’s up, angel?” she cooed, holding her upper arms gently. 

ryne suddenly looked a bit nervous, a bit shy. like she had gotten the sudden courage to say something that had been on her mind and lost the words. her cheeks dusted a light pink, gaze averting and hands wringing. 

“um…” she began, voice higher than usual. mona kept her gaze warm, hoping it would relax the girl a bit. “i-i… noticed you were heading out.” 

“mmhm. i’m just heading back to the pendants,” she admitted, smile reassuring. “i could use a good rest, now that it’s all over.”

ryne didn’t seem so sure. lips pursing and eyebrows furrowing, her gaze cast to the side. “... do… do you want company?” 

a touch surprised, mona’s eyes widened just a bit; she shook her head almost instantly, though she soon regretted it afterward, watching ryne’s frown deepen in the face of it. “no, baby, you should— you should stay, and enjoy the festivities. just because i’m being an old lady about it doesn’t mean you should stop having fun, too.”

her mouth opened to reply, but it died on her tongue, gaze drifting to the side. she rolled her words over in her mind, trying to formulate careful words, mona knew. 

“i just… don’t… want you to suffer alone.” ryne mumbled, voice gentle and low, meant for the warrior and the warrior only. guilt tugged a chord in mona’s chest at her words, and her brows furrowed, silent. she continued, words gentle, but firm. “i won’t… pretend to understand what he meant to you. but i know you’re hurting, mona. a-and you’re not alone— even if he was our enemy, he… i…”

swallowing thickly, the girl shook her head, meeting the bard’s gaze once more. “we’re here for you. i don’t speak for everyone’s opinion of the matter, but i do speak in the name of family. and— and i  _ do _ like to believe we’re all family. so… don’t— don’t worry overmuch. and don’t hide from us, o-okay?”

hesitantly, ryne grasped the warrior of light and darkness’ cheeks, pressing a small, light kiss to her forehead. then, as she began to back away and leave the shell-shocked woman behind, she seemed to hesitate, only for a moment. 

“i…think you should go back. to the city. … to amaurot.” she murmured the name beneath her breath, like a curse word. it  _ felt _ like one. “i don’t know why. it’s just a feeling, but…”

“ryne!” 

looking over her shoulder at the person calling for her, she was reminded of exactly  _ why _ she couldn’t join. frowning gently, she gave mona an apologetic look, trotting backwards a few steps toward the silver-haired gunbreaker looking for her. 

“stay safe.” she called, sapphire eyes wistful as she turned heel. 

and suddenly, mona was alone again. hands dropping into her lap, she stared after the girl, curious, confused… upset. what a cryptic conversation. well, besides the parts where ryne saw fit to call her out on her strange behavior as of late.

though, as much as it put her off, she frowned as she rolled the oracle’s words over in her head. she wanted her to go to amaurot, of all places… what could possibly be left there for her? perhaps she wasn’t giving ryne the credit she deserved with such thoughts, though. many times reborn, with the heart, soul, and mind of an innocent child… she was wise beyond her years. mona would do well not to discredit her. 

and in the end that’s what drove her to the long-lost city of ancients at such a late hour, her fingertips brushing the aetheric stream she knew entirely too well. she felt a tug of guilt on her heartstrings as she left the comfort of the crystarium, her friends, her allies, her… g’raha. but at the same time, she recognized that her companions would likely understand— and even if they didn’t, well… she was sure they’d want little to do with a moping bard at the current moment, right?

in an instant, her surroundings flickered, the welcoming lights of celebration from the crystarium replaced with the blues and greys that had not left mona’s recent memory. for a long time, she simply stared at the aetheryte, only allowing the peripheries of the city beyond into her acknowledgement and vision. she hadn’t been prepared for the wave of grief that threatened to take over her upon returning to this damned city. 

taking in a deep, shaky breath, the woman turned, her movement all but echoing off the empty city’s walls. her eyes glanced around the square, catching a few amaurotines in the corner of the platform, talking low among themselves. everything was as she remembered— admittedly, to her relief. she wasn’t sure what would happen to this structure, now that emet-selch was— well. but it didn’t seem to budge much, from what she could see. 

what was the point of this? mona suddenly found herself at a loss for why she was here. ryne asked it of her, but, truly… truly, at the moment, she couldn’t imagine what this was meant to do, other than hurt her. she would humor the girl, regardless. after all, this city was of his own creation. perhaps it was in her best interest to honor it with the proper appreciation. 

so she stepped from the square, quietly, footsteps echoing through the pavillion. the amaurotines didn’t react— and they wouldn’t. their conversations were scripted, no longer influenced by their creator to speak or interact. instead, they relived the same dialogue repeatedly— about the impending doom of amaurot, the convocation, their creations. briefly, mona had to wonder if they would be stuck in those cycles for the rest of eternity. even though they were only projections… what a sad existence to lead. 

shades. friends. 

her walk to the capitol was, regardless of her dawdling and sightseeing, short. and when she first pushed open the doors, she didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. the overwhelming gold of the architecture blinded her— and the ridiculous length of the hallway, the enormity, made it hard to notice anything standing out. but she felt a familiar tug of aether pull her toward the end of the hallway— the entrance to the horrible, chilling reenactment of the fall of amaurot. 

she couldn’t imagine what to expect at the door. maybe that’s what made what she actually saw so much more shocking. 

black robes spilled out over the gold of the interior, cloaking the form of a certain paragon she nearly didn’t recognize at first. his short hair fell in waves against his face as it always had, but something was most  _ certainly _ off— rather than the chocolatey brown she was used to, the locks were a bright white, the same as the streak he once adorned. 

with not a spec of his previous color showing, mona was left  _ dumbfounded _ . and the lack of a third eye, too— this form was wholly, undeniably solus, so why…? how? was this an ability the ascians always have had? to tweak the forms of the bodies they inhabited?

… but, in an instant, she found herself at a loss for caring. because with warm and gentle golden eyes, his gaze caught her own, and a crooked smile graced his lips. 

“ah… i never fancied the warrior of light for... a sentimental fool,” his tease was weak from his lips, and all too suddenly, mona realized he was backed against the door that lead to death and destruction by his own reenacting, hand clutching the space in his chest that she’d blasted a hole through not even a full sun ago. 

immediately upon realization, tears sprung to her eyes. she took a few stumbling steps forward, as if she’d suddenly forgotten how to walk, a newborn fawn just stepping out of it’s mom’s nest. her shaking hand reached to cover his own, a million thoughts running through her head at once. she needed to get y’shtola— no, that wouldn’t do, she’d never deign to help him— or ryne, because after all, she bid mona to come to this place, so maybe if she just brought her back to help him, then— 

she hadn’t noticed her breaths were bordering frantic until the sound of his shushing cut through it, soft and gentle. “it’s alright, warrior.” he cooed, even through his strained voice. lifting his hand, he revealed his form to be whole once more, pushing her hand against the firm cut of his chest where the injury used to reside for proof. 

all at once, mona’s head started to spin. she shook her head slowly, gentle pressure repeatedly pushed into where the wound had disappeared into thin air. she had wanted to see if he’d break apart at the touch, if this fix was only temporary— but it was as if this form was brand new and improved, at face value. 

“... h-how…—- i don’t…” she nearly whimpered, tears blurring her vision significantly, now. her hand curled tensely into the fabric of his cloak over the sealed wound, and as her gaze lifted to meet his, her emotions spilled over, hot against her already burning cheeks. she couldn’t imagine how she must look, right now, but—

“oh… do not look at me so.” hades chirped softly, barely above a whisper. his hands lifted to cup her face, thumbs brushing her tears away as her eyes widened. “a  _ smile _ better suits a hero.”

her heart squeezed in her chest, more tears pouring over her cheeks at his words. letting out a soft sob, she lifted her hands shakily, a sudden wave of emotion urging her to lunge into his arms. 

his eyes widened as he felt her arms lock around his neck, pulling him down to her height quickly. wrapping his arms around her waist, he allowed them to slowly sink to the ground together, tangled tight in each other’s arms. the warrior sobbed quietly into his neck, curled into his lap like a lost child. 

as he talked her down with whispers of sweet nothings, his fingers drifted along her spine, hoping to ease her stress. when she finally calmed enough to pull away and speak, she rubbed her damp face absentmindedly, watery gaze meeting his with a desperation he hadn’t known from her. 

“s-so— is this—“ a sniffle, “is this— permanent? are you back for— for good? i…” mona stuttered, cheeks warm and sensitive. “i don’t understand, i— i saw… and you… and your  _ third eye, _ and hair is— is… i—“

“slow down, before you send yourself into a panic attack.” hades goaded gently, the backs of his fingers brushing against her cheek with featherlight softness. she sighed shakily and leaned into the touch, her eyes fluttering shut blissfully at the comfort of it. 

“i don’t quite understand it myself, hero. i don’t remember terribly much. but,” he conceded, lips moving closer to her ear, now, “i think it’s safe to say someone’s looking after you.”

in a moment, mona felt her consciousness drift— and as her vision faded to black, it shifted into a scene of dull color. a large crystal floating alone in time and space, a faded, barely understandable voice— but mona knew that voice anywhere. even if her words weren’t discernable, they were comforting, soothing, soft. and as consciousness faded once more, she found herself back in her mind again, taking a sharp breath of her own air to prove it to herself.

hades supported her weight as her senses returned, allowing her time to process what she’d seen. when she came back to her own right mind, she looked up at him with knitted eyebrows, clutching his robe in her hands. 

“well… if you’re going to be here to stay, then we better get you out of these… robes,” she mumbled, sniffling once more as she shifted her weight to move off of him. “can— can you stand?”

“good question,” he mumbled, watching as she stumbled to her feet in front of him. as she reached out a hand, he took it with a lover’s gentle touch, eyes briefly meeting her’s before he attempted to use her as a crutch to lift himself from the ground. once he’d found his way back to his feet, he sighed quietly, burying his face into her shoulder. though he seemed as if he wanted to speak, the words didn’t find him, instead leaning in favor of silence. 

she cradled him close as he leaned into her, savoring the moment she never thought she’d never thought she’d get to enjoy with him. she took the moment to drink in his scent, his presence— he was so warm, so tangible, so real against her— she could curl her fingers in his hair, feel the strands between her knuckles, hear the rustle as she scratched gently at his scalp. she could  _ intimately _ feel the curves of his fingers, gripping her waist tight(as he could muster), his body rising and falling with each breath. he felt so vulnerable and so weak, and so… so… 

“mortal.”

“hm?”

shaking her head, she pulled away from him, her arm rubbing away the rest of her tears cleanly as she withdrew. giving him a warm, friendly smile, she took his hand and began to back away from him, planning to take him back to the aetheryte. 

“never you mind. come; i would bring you to the crystarium.” she mumbled, ghosting her thumb against the back of his hand. catching the apprehensive look on his face at such a suggestion, mona quickly followed up. “i don’t expect the scions will be happy to see you, but— but we’ll worry about that in the morning. i think you need a bit of rest.”

though he clearly had a mind to refuse, it didn’t seem like he’d be going anywhere soon. after all, he truly didn’t have any place to stay. so with a resigned sigh, his shoulders slumped, gaze searching her face for an opening and finding none among her jubilant, excited eyes. “... fine.”

lifting his hand, he pressed his middle finger and thumb together, letting his trademark  _ snap _ fill the room. mona closed her eyes in preparation for whatever he was about to do, but when she felt no dizzying teleportation magicks or change in the surrounding aether otherwise, she peeked an eye open carefully. 

what her eyes were met with instead was the confused face of her counterpart, gazing down at his own hand as if he’d grown an extra limb. he gave another hard  _ snap _ , looking around afterward to see if anything would change this time. but… nothing happened. 

a growl escaped him.  _ snap _ . nothing.  _ snap _ . still nothing.  ** _snapsnapsnap--_ **

“ _ okay _ ,” mona began, grabbing the hand he’d been snapping with and cupping it in her own. her uneasy gaze met his frustrated one, and she squeezed with a nervous laugh. “ _ mmmaybe _ we should just take the aetheryte, for now.”


	2. enemies for centuries, until there was a third

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> when she finally pushed the door open and slipped inside, she wasn’t sure what to expect. but looking around now, she came to wonder how she’d have expected any differently.

a knock on the door caused the warrior to be roused from her sleep, eyelids twitching before they fluttered open to meet the world. the natural light filtering through her open window filtered against the edges of her bed, even streaking across her face, dimly. 

squinting and lifting herself slightly from the bed, she let out a soft sound, the hum a rumble in her throat. as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, she wondered if she had simply dreamed the knock at her door— but, no, there it was again, naught more than a timid rapping. 

a quiet groan escaped her, but she moved to toss the sheets from her regardless, because she knew if she didn’t answer then  _ someone _ would make a ruckus about it. though she was… endeared by her fellow scions’ protectiveness of her, she also wished it  _ ever _ allowed a bit of free time, to herself.

her thoughts were cut short by a resistance in the sheets of her bed, as well as her own body, as she tugged away from her own warmth. curiously, her eyebrows knit together, her sleep-addled mind tried to come up with a solution; perhaps she’d fallen asleep with her saddle bag on again? slowly, her hand reached toward her waist to grab the strap of her bag and toss it away, inwardly scolding herself for not removing it prior to climbing into bed. but as her hand found the culprit, it gripped a warm arm, instead. 

confusion etched itself into her expression, and she looked back, watching her tan hand grip the pale skin of the arm slung around her. as the gears turned in her brain, she was suddenly  _ acutely _ aware of the slow puffs of his breath tickling her neck, and quiet sound of his sleep-addled hums against her ear. 

she would’ve been endeared if she wasn’t worried about whoever was at the door coming in to meet the sight. once the third set of raps against the door came, she jumped, looking between hades and the door, wanting to tell her  guest to hold on a moment, but also not wanting to wake her bedmate. 

as she came to terms with her decision to meet a happy middle of rushing to the door discreetly, she picked up hades’ thumb gingerly and peeled his arm off her waist. stumbling out of bed as soon as she was given the leeway, she made it to the door, throwing it wide open and meeting the gaze of a certain blue-eyed oracle.

her gaze shifted from curious and caring to confused and frantic, looking left to right quickly as she raised a hand timidly to her chin. “i-i’m sorry, did i— did i interrupt something?”

mona, in all good attempts to get her act together, attempted to offer some sense of composure to the child, feigning a casual air as she sunk her fingers into her messy, overgrown locks. “oh,  _ no _ ,” she replied, shaking her head and fluffing her mane. “i was just, uh… sleeping in.”

though ryne looked unconvinced, she didn’t voice it, much to mona’s relief. “well, i… i’m glad you got some… well-needed rest?” she mumbled, her gaze falling in her drop of confidence. “we just— um… we thought we’d check in on you, since g’raha’s supposed to… send you back to the source today. what time did you want to— to do that, anyway?”

oh, shit. squeezing her eyes closed, she slapped a hand over her face, letting herself think a few beats. she let out a soft, unsure hum as she turned toward the window and slid her hand down her cheek, trying to gauge the time of day. it had to still be before noon, at least…

she had to…— but she couldn’t, not now. but tataru, she… but she couldn’t take  _ him _ . and what was he to do while she—  _ no! _ she couldn’t possibly leave him here, either, not like… like…

“u-um…” her voice came timid, as if she was a kid about to ask her parents to stay another night at a sleepover. gods, her tongue felt like a paper noisemaker in her throat. “i— i need to, ah… i need to get ready, and… and preferably have breakfast, before i… go.”

her voice dropped off lamely and she winced at her own self, covering half her face with her hand. 

“thanks for waking me up, ryne.” she confessed, lifting a hand to pat her head. “i’ll be ready before sunset, at the least.” 

the oracle’s eyes suggested that she was worried for how strangely mona was acting. while she didn’t blame her, she still found herself relieved when she didn’t question her, instead nodding in understanding as she played with her fingers. 

“alright.” she conceded, giving a gentle nod. as she began to turn heel, however, she caught mona’s eyes, stopping in her own tracks. the warrior’s heart leapt.

“... but, if you don’t mind me asking…” she mumbled as a start, rubbing the back of her neck suddenly, “d… did you… end up… going to amaurot at all?” 

mouth suddenly dry, mona skipped a beat, but nodded tersely. “of course.”

sapphire eyes searched rosy ones, trying to discern the swirling emotion beneath the surface of them. 

“did you… um. did you find… anything? out— out of the ordinary?”

another beat. silence. 

then, mona stepped forward, cupping her face tenderly. as she pushed her thumbs across the apples of her cheeks, she leaned down to give her forehead a small kiss. 

“... if i did, i’d tell you. i promise.”

there was another brief moment of silence between the two, but ryne seemed to accept the response. nodding slightly, she pulled away from mona, bidding a soft farewell beneath her breath. as the bard heard the soft tap of her shoes leave her inn room door, she let out a soft sigh, leaning her head against the wood ruefully.

it felt bad to lie to her. even it was only half a lie, truly— after all, she could only keep it from them for so long. 

a sudden tug on her aether spoke of the devil in her bed, and she took a few more moments to think about it before she peeked over the open door back at him. he was long awake, now, it seemed— hitched onto his elbow, lying on his side, golden eyes tracking her movements like a predator. 

she had obligations, and duties, even now that everything was over. outside the door was a world that was saved ultimately by her hand, begging for direction from her and her allies. but on her bed was a man she’d thought lost to her own mission, staring her down, returned through some sort of serendipitous second chance that she couldn’t imagine an answer to— not yet.

and if she closed the door, she could indulge in said man, just a few bells longer. 

a silent agreement was met between their gazes, and mona began to slowly push the door closed, giving the gods any chance to scold her hubris before it was too late. when the click of the heavy slab left her room quite peaceful and private once more, she began to waltz toward the bed again. 

“how much did you hear?” mona inquired quietly, approaching the edge of the bed. her hands snaked onto the sheets, leaning over the mattress slightly. the sounds of the rustling fabric and the creaks of the bed frame rang through as the only other sounds in the room, and the peaceful vibe of the morning left the younger… warm. 

“enough.” hades spoke softly, hand sneaking to her own. before the bard could react, or explain, she felt him grasp and tug, urging her back into the bed. with a brief, resigned sigh, she allowed him to pull her up and onto the sheets. 

she wasn’t sure if it was by his influence or her own desire, but she felt herself being tugged over him, slowly; he pulled her into his chest, bringing her close enough to press a hand firmly against the small of her back. with a bit of direction and squirming into place, he brought her gently down atop him, tucking her head beneath his chin and melting into the comfort of her presence. 

as she settled down atop him, she turned her head to the side, staring incessantly at the door to the room. hades’ fingers combing through her hair only did so much to distract her. 

“... i’m sorry,” she confessed quietly, curling her fingers into his shirt. “i was going to tell you, i just—“

“hush.” he scolded, causing her to purse her lips shut. she shifted her head to look up at him, and he met her gaze, hand still stroking a gentle rhythm through her thick, tangled locks. his gaze was still sleepy, white locks splayed against her pillow as he kissed her forehead. “all this means is we need to make the most of the time we have before you go, no?”

mona’s brows knit together as he spoke, lifting herself to shift up his abdomen and sit down gently atop him. “i don’t know if that’s exactly what that means,” she admitted in a mumble, half-playful, half-suspicious. 

with a small, mischievous smile, he lifted his hands to her hips, holding them gently as he gazed into her eyes. before she could figure out what he was up to, he lifted his leg to hitch onto her hip, using the leverage to flip their positions. 

a squeak resounded through the room by his actions, red blooming over her cheeks as she found herself trapped beneath him. he let out the rumble of a laugh in his throat, leaning down to press soft kisses against her jaw. a whine escaped her as he did, but she didn’t fight— her head tilted to allow him further access, though her pout was still prominent in the curve of her lips. 

“emet,” she grumbled, her hands lifting to tangle fingers into his bright locks. “c’mon, i’ve gotta eat, and take a shower, and get ready, and…”

“and that all can  _ wait _ ,” he insisted firmly, gold eyes flicking toward her own, “just a few bells more. i still need to make reparations for leaving you without me so long, you know.”

“rather eager for a man who was all but collapsed into my arms last night,” she goaded, but conceded with a smart smile when she felt teeth nip at her jawline. it was her turn, now, for a giggle to hum in her throat. “fine, fine… just a few bells more.”

-

the crystarium citizens still seemed to have a hard time wrapping their heads around the rising and setting of the sun, a majority still hard at work late hours into the night, or simply wandering around in an attempt to get their minds to catch up to their readjusted circadian rhythm. an unfortunate side effect of the warrior of darkness’ triumphs on the first, both for those who were attempting to adjust to the new life cycle and for the warrior of darkness herself, at the current moment. 

the sun had long fell, and mona was all but running to the ocular, now, the hand gripping hades’ for dear life being the only thing stopping her from breaking into a full-tilt sprint. she dragged him along with panic and frustration in her eyes, attempting to pull him along the sidelines of the city, so as not to draw attention from those still wandering after dark. 

“emet,  _ come on! _ ” she hissed frantically, rushing him along to the dossal gate with little sympathy for his stumbling as she did. “you’re the one who made me late— the least you could do is put a little pep in your step, you know!”

“ _ oh _ , your little scions can wait. haven’t they asked enough of you already?” he drawled, rolling his eyes as he attempted to keep in step behind her. “allowing you a bell's leeway is the  _ least _ they can do in terms of reparations for—“ a near trip— “nearly bursting your vessel at the seams.”

“oh, you’re one to talk about  _ trying _ to  _ kill me, _ ” she shot back incredulously, voice half-full with aggression, half with laughter. “now  _ come on _ , you drama queen!”

though the tower wasn’t far from the pendants, mona was already late as it is— she felt guilt settle in her chest, thinking back to earlier in the day; she’d told ryne… well, a few things that weren’t entirely true. so much for having that poor thing’s trust. though, for all the chances she gave thancred, perhaps she wasn’t totally out of luck, the bard mused half-heartedly. 

mona had little trouble bringing hades in after her, simply informing the guard that he was a friend (which brought no less than an arched, suspicious brow from her counterpart, and a quiet, teasing _'friend?' _in her ear, but the guard himself seemed none the wiser) and guiding him into the tower hastily. though the man had a bit of trouble finding his way to the doors of the ocular, having never had to climb the tower himself in full before, their arrival outside of it was relatively quick. 

it was only once outside the doors that she hesitated. with one hand on the handle and the other gripping hades’ tight, her lips pursed apprehensively. 

as though sensing her nerves, hades simply gripped her hand back, rubbing his thumb across the back of her hand and nestling his nose against her head. 

“it’s alright,” he mumbled against her ear, pressing a few gentle kisses to the back of it. her muscles loosened a bit at the gesture. “you’re not alone. i’ll be right behind you.”

squeezing her eyes shut, she took in a deep, long sigh, squeezing his hand a bit tighter. gods. how was she supposed to explain this? not only this, but— but  _ them _ . and what was she to expect of their reactions? how they would take it? what would they want to do with him? and what was  _ she _ going to do with him when she left the first? was he stuck here like the rest of them? so much of this whole ordeal has been shrouded in such…  _ mystery _ . it made her stomach turn thinking about it. 

but she pushed through the fear, taking a few seconds to herself before turning her head towards his own. “stay here,” she spoke quietly, finally loosening her grip on his hand. 

when she finally pushed the door open and slipped inside, she wasn’t sure what to expect. but looking around now, she came to wonder how she’d have expected any differently. 

the scions were gathered near the center of the room, speaking idly to each other. they laughed and joked quietly, abuzz with delight of their celebrations the night prior. as soon as they heard the door, however, all eyes travelled to her, warmth in their lighthearted smiles.

“well, took you long enough,” thancred chided. y’shtola rumbled a soft chuckle in response beside him, blind eyes searching her friend for a reason to her truancy. 

“come, o’ warrior of darkness,” the seeker teased lightly, “we’ve been waiting for you. i believe i speak for us all when i say we want words with you ‘ere you part.”

with a nervous laugh, she held the hand clinging to hades’ own a bit tighter, still dangling behind the slightly ajar door. “um… before i do, i have something that i… need you guys to see.”

the silence that followed was nothing short of deafening to mona, only broken by the shuffling of her feet as she cleared the way for her visitor. hand still locked with his warrior’s own, he stepped in, his face emulating his familiar bored expression. 

perhaps  _ that _ was the indicator that, despite his new, unfamiliar appearance, spurred half of them into reaching for their weapons. 

mona’s eyes widened immediately, and though she really expected no less, she hadn’t particularly planned on what she’d do in response. releasing his hand and moving in front of him, she prepared to do what she did best— talking herself out of sticky situations. 

“it’s— he’s not dangerous,” she explained quickly, waving her hands to call them off their guard. predictably, she was met with suspicious glares. furrowing her brows, she felt a pout begin to form. “really. he doesn’t… have his powers right now, and he’s not armed. i promise. i practically had to carry him here the other night.”

“the other night?” g’raha suddenly weighed in, his own brows furrowed in worry. she felt a pang of guilt seep into her chest, trying to search for the words to explain. 

“so that’s where you ran off to,” alphinaud commented quietly, offering a side-glance toward alisaie. she let out a sarcastic, snorted laugh. 

“you owe me 10,000 gil,” his twin goaded toward him, but her piercing gaze never left hades’, her expression devoid of any of the lightheartedness of her tone.

“wait.” ryne began strong, but trailed off as eyes began to trail toward her hesitantly. locking her fingers shyly, she began to stare down at the floor. mona was suddenly acutely aware of the fact that she hadn’t reached for her knives at all. 

“i… i sent her,” ryne began uneasily, her gaze shifting to the side. “to amaurot, i mean. i don’t think she originally intended to go there, she was just… helping me, like she’s wont to do.”

the room fell silent a moment, and ryne winced when she heard the first voice break it. 

“from where didst thou receive the knowledge that aught was amiss in amaurot, if thou shalt pardon mine prying?” urianger began, his golden gaze falling to her, curiously. she averted her eyes even further from her allies. 

“i… i didn’t really. not directly.” she explained timidly, toying with her fingers. “i just… had this feeling. well, it was just a feeling at first, but now i—… i think it’s come together enough for me to understand a little... better.”

“understand  _ what? _ ” thancred retorted angrily, though it was evident that the aggression was directed toward hades, rather than ryne. 

“i’m  _ terribly sorry _ to interrupt,” y’shtola cut in suddenly, voice terse and drawing the immediate attention of the room. “but what am i supposed to understand is happening here? am i to be expected to recognize this person with mona?”

“oh, for the love of... you all  _ must _ be quiet. i feel the headache coming on already.”

silence fell over the room, suddenly. all eyes returned to hades, who currently had his arms crossed, fingers pressed to his temple. 

“ _ emet _ ,” mona scolded through clenched teeth, jabbing him in the ribs with an elbow. he offered a baffled look in response, throwing his hands up with the exact kind of melodrama expected. 

“what? we’re going to get nowhere talking over each other like a bunch of bumbling baboons.” he grumbled, drawing his attention toward the general audience of the room. “i was dead, now i am not. i regret to say that don’t fully understand why, or what the circumstances are. but seeing as the only person with even a shred of an idea of what the situation might be is your little oracle of light, perhaps we should be giving her the time of day to explain to the room what she knows and  _ stop speaking over her _ .”

golden eyes locked onto the young girl with the finish of his speech, and surprise bloomed in her expression, eyes suddenly shifting from her allies, to hades, and back again. with a nervous glance toward mona, ryne shifted her weight, trying to find a good place to start. 

“well…” she mumbled, clearing her throat softly. “i… got this feeling, late the other night, after we… defeated emet-selch. it was… kind of the same one i got the night i realized mona arrived in the first. even though i had no concrete evidence before the sky turned, i just sort of… knew. but— but i didn’t know what i knew this time. i didn’t know… what to expect, and i certainly didn’t expect…  _ this _ .”

the room fell awkwardly silent for a few moments, and, hesitantly, mona put her words in as a defense for the young girl. “so she sent me to investigate,” she began in a murmur, full ready to take the heat of her comrades. “and i found emet… y’know, like this.”

“and it didn’t cross your mind to keep us privy to the situation as soon as you stumbled upon it?” y’shtola offered blatantly, exposing the elephant in the room. mona could only flinch. 

“ _ i’m _ not entirely sure she  _ owes _ that to you all, you know,” hades challenged, gaze burning with a certain annoyance that seemed to drive past the surface level. “considering you kept her in the dark about the possible  _ shattering of her own soul _ for a time, in favor of your grand and ultimate plans to save this shard from the brink. what gives you lot right to expect her to spill her guts for you after such a blatant betrayal of her trust? consider yourselves lucky she came clean at all.”

the silence that swept over the room was deafening. it was the scions’ turns to feel pangs of guilt— especially the few who had been operating behind the scenes the entire time. though hades’ speech put them to shame momentarily, there always was a certain someone that always seemed rather immune to his words. 

“it becomes our business when it involves our enemy.” thancred began quietly, glaring daggers into hades’ eyes. his gaze only shifted to find mona’s. she felt the desperation in her breast reach a breaking point, mouth opening to challenge her friend— but ryne beat her to it. 

“he’s not our enemy.” she mumbled matter-of-factly, shaking her head. if the room hadn’t been so silent, most wouldn’t have heard it. “not anymore.”

taking the following silence as a sign to continue, ryne began again— albeit uneasily. 

“you see it too, right, y’shtola?” she asked, gaze shifting to the miqo’te momentarily before returning to fix on hades. “i know it’s not a first-glance thing for you all, but…”

though she was silent a moment, regarding hades with a suspicious gaze, she eventually sighed, nodding toward the younger. “indeed,” she affirmed, though the words left a bitter taste in her mouth. “his aether has changed drastically. where he used to be a sore thumb out in our crowd, he is now… well,  _ normal _ . in fact, if i didn’t know any better, i would say he’s—“

“—mortal.” ryne finished quietly, shaking her head. stepping toward hades’ slightly, she raised a hand to her chest, clasping it with furrowed brows. “not to mention, i sense a hint of… ah, forgive me, but you said he doesn’t have his powers anymore, correct?”

“ _ right now, _ ” hades corrected, regarding the girl with suspicion. she looked on expectantly, however, much to his chagrin. with a sigh, he conceded. “... but, yes. they have not been working properly since my return.”

nodding, ryne’s gaze grew a bit more pensive, her gaze casting to the floor. “and you were so severely injured that your form dissipated after you were hit with the white auracite, leaving us to assume you had been destroyed. but…”

“clearly that is not the case.” y’shtola finished for her, crossing her arms thoughtfully. “what was that you’d been preaching through most of our journey? how us mortals are naught but parodies of our former selves?”

“thou art suggesting that he may hath been sundered.” urianger interjected with a murmur, gaze cast her way. she closed her eyes, thinking on it a moment. 

“after a fashion.” she mumbled thoughtfully, tapping a finger against her chin. “he still has his memories, clearly. and… most of his appearance, i presume, based on your reactions.”

“and his attitude, to be sure.” alisaie commented, arms crossed. mona hadn’t noticed the daggers she’d been glaring at him the entire time until that exact moment— to which she frowned nervously.

a soft, arrogant laugh from behind her made her flinch, and though her sigh wasn’t audible, she truly hoped it was visible on her features. 

“you lot do not know a  _ thing _ about sundered souls.” he goaded, eyes cold as they glared out over the crowd watching him. “and you will  _ never _ know them as intimately as i. you’re very bold to even assume such, and i’ll have you know that there's no possible way i’ve been sundered— not in a conventional sense, at the least.”

“emet,” ryne began, disregarding his speech, “it’s… it’s strange. i don’t detect a hint of darkness in you. not anymore. but what i do sense is a… ehm, what word would be best to use here—… perhaps  _ healthy? _ — amount of light inside you, now.”

the observation sealed hades’ lips tightly shut,  baffled by it to such an extent that he couldn’t even formulate a proper response. his incredulous stare spoke volumes, however— as if he couldn’t believe such a ludicrous thing to be truth. 

as the young girl began to walk towards him, her feet carrying her to the front of him, she gingerly lifted a hand up to hold one of his own. 

“i know it’s hard to believe,” she mumbled, looking down at his hand thoughtfully. “and i know you don’t  _ want _ to believe it. but look at you. your aether, your soul, even your hair— though you may not have been sundered by your own definition, i do think you’ve come back as… half of a whole. … a shard, even. you are not the same man you once were. i don’t think it’s a temporary thing, either— it’s…”

hades’ broke gaze with the girl, suddenly; it felt as if he almost couldn’t hear what she was trying to say— for his own pride. ryne fell silent in turn, looking to mona with a pleading glance. she took their joined hands in her own, causing them both to look at her expectantly. 

“see if you two can figure out more about what’s going on while i’m gone. i promise to come back as soon as i can. i just need to make sure everyone’s okay and safe without me in the source.” she spoke softly, as if the plan was private, meant only the three of them. casting a glance to the rest, she squeezed their hands gently, a smile gracing her lips. “and try to keep the violence to a minimum while i’m away, okay?”

“secret meeting of the minds, over there,” thancred muttered sarcastically to urianger, bitter beneath his breath. 

“i heard that!” mona retorted, tossing a glare at him from over her shoulder. unsurprisingly, he glared right back. 

taking a final sigh, she shook her head, kissing both party’s cheeks before allowing their hands to slip from her grasp. she stepped toward the rest of the group, arms crossing as she stood in the center of their half- circle. 

“look, i know this is weird, but you guys have to trust me on this.” she confessed, rubbing the back of her neck uneasily and lowering her voice. her rosy eyes flicked to each person, gauging their responses as they spoke. “he’s completely devoid of his powers, to my knowledge. and i know he’s never been one to show his hand, but you  _ know _ this is weird. the white auracite has never  _ not _ worked before— and even if he is feigning innocence, he had to have taken some sort of hit. there’s no way he’s as powerful as he was before.”

though the group was quiet a moment, and mona thought she had  _ at least _ convinced them to stay civil, she fought the urge to snap her eyes shut in frustration as thancred opened his mouth. “what, we’re expected to put our necks on the line so you can canoodle with an ascian that damn near killed us all?”

snapping her annoyed gaze towards his, she pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes. “that  _ isn’t _ what this is. if you’d care to remove your head from your ass for about five seconds, you’d realize what good this could do. he knows things we couldn’t ever  _ possibly _ know. if we get him on our side, it could be a really good chance to get more information we wouldn’t have otherwise.”

“he did reveal a fair amount of important information to us along the way of our journey,” alphinaud mused, crossing his arms. thancred shot him a look, and his face scrunched defensively. “what? i don’t like it any more than you, but mona’s correct, on that front. her point aside, if we don’t take hold of him in this neutral state, twelve knows what sorts of trouble he’ll cause for us down the line.”

“i’m with thancred on this,” alisaie confessed, though she didn’t meet mona’s gaze. “besides the… part about the  _ ‘canoodling’ _ , i can’t bear to entertain that thought, but— he’s right, you know. what are we supposed to do if he tries something while you’re gone? the only reason we got the chance to take him down originally was because you saved our arses— in no uncertain terms.”

mona casted a glance over her shoulder, watching him converse casually with ryne. it was by no means  _ comfortable _ , but he was trying. when his gaze caught hers, he seemed to soften, though he made no other gesture that he noticed. 

she really didn’t know how to convince them that he was harmless now— whether he liked it or not. she vividly could remember his body atop hers merely hours prior, bathed in the sunlight flooded from the window. the way he trembled as his forearms kept him, pressed beside her head. his breathless apology for his weakness, and her gentle hand traversing the expanse of his back, urging him to take his rest, lay down, they would have much more time to indulge later, when he’d gained back his strength. the way his body pressed into hers, head nestled against her chest, her fingers scratching through his white tresses with ease, gently tugging out the knots he’d developed in slumber. 

pulling her gaze back to the group, she fumbled with the words to explain— to get them to acquiesce, let her  _ have this _ —

but her eyes unexpectedly caught  _ g’raha’s _ , who, despite his silence, seemed to have been deeply invested in the conversation, from the look on his face. catching (what she could only guess was) the turmoil in her gaze, his expression shifted to the surprised, and his ears tucked gently against his head, eyes sympathetic to her plea for an answer. 

“... we still have feo ul at our disposal,” he announced slowly, gaze locked with mona’s. her own widened as he spoke, mouth dropping open slightly. from her peripheral, she saw everyone face him. “should we require her assistance, i’m sure they would be happy to oblige in getting a hold of our hero.”

“you’re really on board with this?” y’shtola questioned her fellow miqo'te, sounding unconvinced. “i’d expect you to be one of the last to coax into it.”

“well… by all rights and means, i shouldn't be. but…” casting a crimson glance toward his counterpart, he let a soft smile tug at the corner of his lip. “... a little bird is telling me i could make an attempt at being a bit more open-minded to this particular cause.”

_ oh _ , did she owe him for that later. for the moment, however, she glanced around the group, eagerly awaiting the other’s responses.

thancred eyed hades suspiciously, not lowering his gaze until he was all but forced to look at mona instead. he didn’t look happy, not at all, but he didn’t seem like he had much more fight left in him, either. 

“one of these days, you’re all going to regret never listening to me,” he mused bitterly, shaking his head. “i’ll suffer his presence—  _ for now _ . at least until you get back. and he’s going to be on  _ very careful _ watch until then; make sure you let him know that.”

eyes lighting up, a slow grin spread across her features. a soft, incredulous laugh took her at his words, uncrossing her arms to punch him in the shoulder. “thanks,  _ dad _ ,” she goaded, another laugh sounding from her as he offered a  _ severely _ unamused stare. 

“i can provide him his own inn room, and have meals delivered, to see that he doesn’t cause too much trouble about the crystarium.” g’raha mumbled thoughtfully. mona’s mouth opened to object, but she quickly closed it, afterward. no use in arguing the point of using her inn room— needless and embarrassing, at best... as much as she liked the thought. “supply him with clothes… though, you seemed to take care in cleaning him up quite well.”

“o-oh,” mona started, looking over her shoulder at him. he was adorned in quite simple gear— a black, sleeveless, high-necked top, and pants and boots to match. “it’s really… not much. it’s just what i had on me. i meant to sell that stuff on the marketboard since it doesn’t fit me, but i just never… got the chance…

“... anyway,” she segwayed, shaking her head. “thank you guys. i know this is probably hard to swallow right now, and it’s definitely a lot to ask, but you trusting me means a lot.”

“well.., just make sure you come home with good news.” y’shtola replied, a soft smile gracing her features. her expression dropped quickly after, however. “— and  _ quickly _ . i’m not fond of playing babysitter for grown adults, and that’s especially true of old men and ancients.”

with a soft laugh, mona nodded, eyes glimmering. glancing toward the portal over g’raha’s shoulder, she fell silent, momentarily. then she took in the soft breath of words unsaid, gaze refocusing on the group of people surrounding her. 

“i love you guys.” she confessed contentedly, playing with her own fingers gently. “i promise, i’ll be back before you know it.”

they all seemed to soften at her words— even alisaie and thancred, previously bristled by the situation. a few smiles blossomed in the group, and they moved on to say farewells, ryne and hades joining shortly after. 

though the scions fell silent as mona and hades shared a warm hug, they found nothing but genuineness in the way he held her, buried his face in her hair. though he whispered something unintelligible to her as he pulled away, her smile spoke further volumes than his voice ever could have. 

and when she finally passed the threshold and stepped through the crystalline gateway to the source, the group looked around at each other quietly, trying to decide where they were to go from there. 

“well,” hades began, turning toward the doors to the ocular, “was anyone planning to show me to this ‘inn room’ apparently designated to me? or did i mistake what i overheard? really, i’m quite excited. if it’s anything like your little  _ hero’s _ , it should be lovely.”

though thancred let out a growl of frustration at the frivolity in his tone, ryne gently touched his arm, in a gesture for him to calm down. when he looked down after her, she simply returned his offput gaze with a small smile. “don’t worry. i’ll handle it.”

“by yourself?” he asked, suspicion in his tone. he gazed back toward hades, who was now lingering at the door, eyeing the pair impatiently over his shoulder. 

“i’ll be okay. i’ll meet you back by our apartments after he’s settled.” she awaited a response before departing, though one didn’t particularly come— not past a grumble and a head tilt in hades’ direction. 

as she scampered off behind him, thancred watched, eyes staying fixed on the door even after it closed behind them. after a few moments passed, and the remaining scions began murmuring amongst themselves, thancred made for the door himself. 

“going to spy on them?” y’shtola called in a sing-song reminiscent voice after him, peeking her gaze over g’raha’s shoulder to watch. 

thancred’s grumble before he left was the last thing they heard of him that day. “absolutely.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i don't really know where this fic is going i'll be really honest! i just wanted to write about an emet lives au! i might just start posting oneshots eventually. who knows. lemme know if ur into that  
i hope you guys enjoy this chapter!! sorry if it was a little ooc or scatterbrained :< i write like a sentence a day because my hands don't know how to work


	3. alone in someone's bedroom, she firmly took my hand // E

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “i think this is just going to have to be how it is, for a while.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sooo this chapter was supposed to set up for some other non-plotty stuff... i have a lot of ideas for this au that i just wanted to start dumping in this fic with no direction, so i've been trying to just ease into it, but it's a little hard when i truly have no idea what i'm doing. i hope this is a good enough chapter for now though! not many answers still... but plenty of fluff? and much more to come!!
> 
> also the E in the chap title stands for explicit so but it's only in the first part so... beware i suppose

when mona returned to the first, hades was the first to know about it.

besides his time being taken up by staying under the watchful eye of thancred and ryne(and doing his very best to lose them), he had very little to do besides wait for her return. and when she did step foot through that gate once more, he had no way to explain how he  _ knew _ she was back other than that he  _ did _ .

and right he was, when he snuck off to the tower to visit. he’d found her just as she was leaving(much to his delight— the guard wouldn’t have been keen on letting him in anywho), and immediately rushed her to the pendants.

it didn’t take her by surprise when he snuck them both into her inn room before any of the scions could intervene. however, what  _ did _ take her by surprise was his first course of action, which was to push her against the wall of the empty room and kiss her mercilessly. 

but they were left to their own devices for the night, regardless— barely speaking with the way their lips met  _ ferociously _ between their moans and cries— and woke the next morning with much more to say and discuss than the night prior. but it was unfortunate, really, how little their drive seemed to have waned. 

and so an unbidden whimper escaped the girl beneath him as his hips rolled into her own, fingers curling into the sheets below her. his rhythm was mind-numbing at best, distracting at worst— but despite it, he continued to speak to her, in attempt to hold a conversation worth anything. 

“what is the news— from the source?” he grunted out lowly, hands gripping her hips in a fashion telling of  _ dominance— _ of possession. his rhythm was sensual, languid, hips rising and sinking like the slow waves of the shore. her hands found his neck and cradled it, lips brushing against one another’s with each thrust. 

“it— it’s fine,” she breathed, allowing a quiet moan to pass her lips ere she continued. “barely any time had— had passed… since i left. c-comparatively, at least.”

he let out a noncommittal hum, lowering his head to meet her lips in a kiss. as he did, his rhythm picked up— ever so slightly, but noticeably so. a hitch of her breath and the parting of their lips was the only indication that she noticed. 

“wh-what about the first?” she spoke, attempting to keep her voice level. “i’m of the— of the mind that m-more time has passed here... since i was gone.”

hades grunted, almost in a displeased manner— not the sound she would hope for in contexts like these. “there’s a  _ reason _ i came running for you, when you returned...”

the short laugh that left her was  _ completely _ involuntary, and mildly inappropriate, but it was the fault of  _ his _ commentary. “what do you  _ mean?” _ she prompted, amusement plain in her voice. “did they lock you up? torture you for information? feed you the scraps from the—“

a particularly hard thrust stopped her, a heady gasp escaping her in place of her words. hades dipped his head into her neck, a grumble escaping him.  _ “oh, _ she’s got  _ jokes.” _

mona pressed an airy laugh into his head, winding her fingers into his bright locks. “well, you were the one who chose the— the dramatic. i was simply playing along.” 

“me  _ missing _ you is not—“ he took a slow breath, pulling her hips tightly into his own, “— is not part of an act, little hero. nor is it overdramatizing.”

“you missed me?” she breathed, her voice softening. the quiet surprise in her tone made him halt his rhythm momentarily, his eyes searching her own to gauge whether or not she was serious. when he decided she  _ was _ ,  _ deadly _ so, his brows furrowed and he nestled himself into her neck tenderly. 

“of course.” he murmured, his fingers lightly squeezing her thighs as he began to move once more— a bit faster, a bit rougher. her breath left her in a sigh, head falling back onto her pillow. he followed her down, with kisses to her neck and her jaw, nestling her with his nose. 

“you’ve  _ no _ idea,” hades breathed into her ear, calloused hands gripping her hips with a renewed fervor, “how long i’ve waited for you. years. centuries.  _ eons _ . i’m not wasting another second without you.” 

the ache in his voice made her whine softly, pants falling from her lips as she felt his aether reach out to her own, smooth over it like honey. the way it plucked at her like a harp, pushing and pulling all the right buttons— she let him pull her down with him into their pleasure as his hips rocked lovingly, numbingly into her own. 

she supposed they could finish their conversation later. 

-

“hades wright?”

“that’s what she came up with.” hades mumbled, seated at the vanity in her room. he steadied his elbow against the surface of it, brush in hand. “i didn’t  _ really _ care whether or not i had an alias to go off of in this world— i hadn’t really planned on making a name for myself. “

drawing a steady line across his eyelid, he stared intently in the mirror. “alas, the girl  _ insisted _ , and so i humored her. she wanted to pose me as one of your kind, i suppose— hyur? hume?— and simply combined my name with that of my profession.”

“your profession?” she inquired, using the towel in her hands to soak most of the water from her thick locks. “you’re a builder?”

“an architect, to be sure.” he replied matter-of-factly, lowering the brush and fanning his eyes to dry his handiwork faster. “it was my position in the convocation of fourteen, in ancient times. just as elidibus was the emissary, and lahabrea the speaker. we all had our roles.”

mona was quiet for a moment, mind running over the information presented to her with a fine-toothed comb. her mouth opened to say something, but closed once again. hades seemed to have noticed, passing her a glance. “mmh?”

“i… don’t want to bring up anything that will make you sad.” she murmured, averting her gaze to her lap. 

hades himself fell silent for a few seconds, as if he was rolling over the possibilities of what she could say in his head to ruin his day. and it turned out that there was  _ nothing,  _ really— nothing he wasn’t normally sad about, anyway. so he sighed and lifted himself from his seat, making his way to the bed where she sat and took his place next to her.

“turn your head.” he asked, to which she obliged near instantly; his hands guided her eyes away from him and then fell to reach for the jar of cream she had set beside her. with a sigh, he scooped out a pad of it and rubbed it into his hands, massaging it through her damp hair. “let me answer your questions, little songbird.”

her lips twitched at the nickname he used— how sweet, how gentle he painted her. wringing her fingers in her lap, she attempted not to bow her head as he worked. 

“... i met a friend in amaurot.” she murmured, and his motions didn’t stutter— his hands began to separate sections of her hair and skillfully wrap them. “he told me he was the... chief of the bureau of the architect, i think.”

his movements noticeably slowed, but he did not stop. it was as if he was thinking on how to respond to her question carefully. his rhythm picked up once again after he seemed satisfied with his rehearsed answer. “chief of the bureau of the architect— which means he was not  _ the _ architect. hythlodaeus was not a member of the convocation.”

mona rolled that over in her head for a moment. “oh.” she responded simply, but the tone of her voice made it sound as if she was still unsatisfied. he let out a soft sigh and pulled a few strands taut. 

“you had only one?” he inquired, though she could tell he was prompting her. 

“i have far too many.” she murmured, playing with her thumbs. “i don’t even know where to start.”

hades fell silent as he finished up her braid, tying it off with the band he had pulled out of her hair before their shower. guiding her chin back towards him, those bright, peachy eyes met his curiously. he simply pressed his lips to her own once, then twice. 

“well, as they come to you, then.” he murmured, his honey-filled gaze lowering as his kisses trailed towards her jaw, her neck. “i’m not going anywhere.”

she giggled a bit as his lips grazed her skin, fingers threading through his locks lovingly. “okay, i’ll redeem my first coupon now. does this name change require that i call you hades from now on?”

his hand slid onto her hip, then up to her waist, tugging her closer. “mm... well, i do  _ love _ the way it sounds from your mouth.”

her cheeks grew flushed as she giggled her embarrassment, burying her face into his neck. “shut up.”

“oh, she tells me to  _ shut up,” _ he goaded her, a genuinely amused grin breaking his features. “you know, i have punishments reserved for insolence like that.”

he pushed her back onto the bed and crawled over her, making her laugh out loud as she welcomed him into her arms. “i’d like to see you try,  _ wright.” _

for a split moment, their eyes challenged each other’s, though that quickly dissolved as hades made the first move, kissing her roughly and grasping one of her thighs to press into. he pulled a soft noise from mona’s throat easily, but it was quickly drowned out by a round of knocking on her inn room door that nearly caused her to jump from her skin. 

once she realized what was going on, she sighed loudly, covering her eyes with her arm. hades took one look at the door, and then back to her, and then pressed a kiss to her arm, making a quiet comment about how she needed to  _ ‘change inn rooms, were they going to continue to have these interruptions’ _ . when he got up to answer it, mona didn’t realize what he was doing until it was already too late. 

jumping up from where she sat on the bed, she listened carefully as he opened the door, slapping a hand over her mouth. her worst fears were realized as she heard a familiarly gruff-sounding voice carry into the room, and watched hades’ bored expression. the question their visitor asked may as well have come out in a growl. 

_ “where _ is mona?” 

as she watched hades sneer and prepare to respond, she  _ launched _ herself from her bed and ran to the door at mach speed. she all but pushed hades out of the way, laughing awkwardly as she met the gaze of the one asking for her.  _ “hiii, _ thancred.”

his eyes bored into her own in a way that shook her to her core. it was the same way her mother would look at her when she wanted her to know she was in trouble. she briefly cowered under his gaze, a soft, nervous  _ ‘heh’ _ escaping her. 

“where have you been?” he inquired accusingly, gaze flicking to look at hades briefly before taking a step closer to her. “ryne has been looking for you  _ all day. _ we need you for an investigation.”

suddenly, mona’s expression became a bit more defiant. “what? i’ve been here all day. she knows where to find me.”

“she said she came here already. knocked three times and no one answered.” he responded, suspicion rising in his voice. 

mona felt her heart sink as she realized— ryne must’ve come while her and hades were in the shower… and they had been a bit too— ah—  _ preoccupied _ to hear, for certain. covering her mouth a bit, she realized it must’ve looked like she had purposely not answered. while she tried to scramble for an explanation that  _ didn’t _ require telling her comrade the truth of the situation, hades pushed her toward him, causing both of their heads to snap up to look at him. 

“well, unless you intended on pulling her from the bath by the ear, she was busy getting ready. she’s just finished, actually— so have your way with her, if you must.” his gaze became cold as his eyes fixed intently onto thancred’s, though his smirk stayed ever meaningful. “fret not for me. i’ve already had mine.”

mona’s eyes widened sharply as he spoke, cheeks lighting aflame. as she choked on a response, she didn’t  _ dare _ to look at thancred’s. “h- _ hades,  _ you—“

he leaned down to press a firm kiss to her lips, cupping her face lovingly as he did. she hadn’t even had time to  _ think _ of pulling away before he’d already let her go, retreating to close the door behind her as he sent her on her on her way. 

“go on. i’ll be here when you return.” he replied wistfully, a dramatic sigh escaping him as he began to hand her the equipment she tended to leave by the door— her bow, her quiver, her bag. “and you take good care of her, alright? it won’t do for her to die on me now that i’ve returned.”

if looks could kill, hades would have been long on the floor by now. thancred was practically staring daggers into him, hands balled into fists. “the exarch will be watching you.”

“delightful.” hades deadpanned, waving his hand in a dismissive manner. “i’ll make sure to give him a show. goodbye!”

the slam of the inn room door caused missy to jump, staring at thancred sheepishly as the silence set in. she let out a soft  _ ‘heh’, _ gesturing for him to lead the way. he only huffed and turned heel, making a path for her to follow him out.

she’d have to ask hades some more questions when she got back. 

-

“i think this is just going to have to be how it is, for a while.”

ryne’s voice cutting through the silence surprised mona into looking up from her journal, her eyes inquiring though shaded in the dim light of the lantern. the flame flickered over both their quiet bodies, resting after a hard day at work with eden. the bard’s quill made a soft noise as she dipped it into it’s ink once again, eyes dragging away from her companion of the night and her resting body, turned away from her. 

“what is?” she inquired gently, voice curious as she jot down a few more lines.

“hades.” she mumbled, causing mona’s writing to slow. “and you. and you and hades.”

the bard paused for a moment, giving thought to her words. “does that make you sad?” 

ryne was still, for a moment. “i just… wish i could help more. all i can say for certain right now is that he’s… he’s mortal. i don’t know for how long, or how short, or if anything will change, or how much time he has, and it’s—“

“it’s going to be  _ fine. _ ” mona chimed, letting out a soft sigh as ryne fell silent. the warrior scooted over to her, reaching a hand to rub her shoulder gently. “you’ve done more than enough. it means the world to me that he’s even back, you know. thank you for all the work you’ve put in. for both him  _ and _ me.”

for a few beats, she didn’t respond, turned away from her companion. then her head turned, bright blue eyes staring up at her with innocent curiosity. 

“... do you… think he liked the name?”

and mona paused, eyes widening slightly. but then she laughed, shaking her head and leaning down to nestle her nose against the younger’s. “he loved it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> y'all still reading this...? L
> 
> yell at me on twitter @bunnythermos


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